Figure 3. Hammerhead Spiegelzyme (34-mer) Stability in Human Blood Sera.

(A) Incubation at 37°C for 0.25–120 h (6 days) in a human blood serum purchased from Sigma [4]. (B) Incubation at 37°C for 0.25–144 h in serum derived from a whole blood of a healthy blood donor. Blood was collected without anticoagulant and clotting was allowed over night at room temperature. Serum was prepared by centrifugation for 30 min at 3000 rpm in a Heraeus Megafuge 3 or at 4°C und stored in aliquots at −25°C. Serum was tested negative for HIV and hepatitis B and C by routine serological tests. (C) Control-Hammerhead ribozyme (same sequence as the Spiegelzyme) was incubated in serum (as in A) at 37°C for 0.25–120 min. All diagrams show fractions of the intact L-RNA, or D-RNA at a given time point. C-control sample was incubated on ice over time period given.